HP TouchSmart IQ816 PC specifications :

• Dimensions : 26″ x 5.5″ x 19.6″
• Weight : 35.3 lbs
• Display : 25.5″ TFT active matrix
• Display resolution : 1920 x 1200
• Processor : Intel Core 2 Duo T8100/ 2.1 GHz
• Chipset : Mobile Intel GM965 Express
• RAM : 4GB DDR2 SDRAM
• Graphics : Nvidia GeForce 9600M GS
• Hard Disk : 750GB SATA-300 7200 rpm
• Optical drive : Blu-ray burner
• OS : Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit
• Approx. price : $2000

The HP TouchSmart IQ816 has a monstrous 25.5″ touch screen, the largest available on a PC. The PC comes with a custom TouchSmart software developed by HP. The software is basically a collection of various widgets clubbed together. These include note, weather, calendar, photo viewer, painting tool, music player, video player applications.

These applications are launched through a full screen containing all the shortcuts to the various applications. The development kit has been opened to third-party developers, so one can hope to see some cool new applications for the PC.

The keyboard can be illuminated in night by a row of LEDs that have three levels of brightness. HP’s proprietary Pocket drives also can a slot at the top. It also has a webcam located right in center  of top panel. The ports do not hold any surprises and are the usual USB 2.0 ports, Firewire, media card reader and digital and analog audio ports.

The PC can be wall mounted but it does not use the standard VESA mount but can be purchased separately from HP. The PC has a big hard drive, enough to house all your digital media. HP unexpectedly decides to bundle a Intel Core 2 Duo T8100, 2.1 GHz processor in this ultra expensive machine that affects productivity. 4GB RAM is good enough and so are the graphics with Nvidia GeForce 9600M GS. The performance does not match up to the high price tag though.

Pros :

• Large display
• Touchscreen display
• Pocket media bay
• TouchSmart software

Cons :

• Highly expensive
• Average performance
• Limited ports

Final Thoughts

The HP TouchSmart IQ816 is a large touchscreen PC from HP that apart from having touchscreen functionality does not have much to boast about. It is low on performance and the price tag puts it out of reach of most people.

Rating : 3/5

HP Pavilion A6620f specifications :

• Dimensions : 6.9″ x 16.3″ x 15.3″
• Weight : 22 lbs
• Processor : Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200/ 2.5 GHz
• Chipset : Intel G33 Express
• Graphics : Intel GMA 3100
• RAM : 4GB DDR2 SDRAM 800 MHz
• Hard Disk : 500GB SATA-300 7200rpm
• Optical drive : Dual Layer DVD-Writer with Lightscribe
• Input devices : Keyboard, Mouse
• OS : Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit
• Approx. price :$519

The HP Pavilion A6620f is one of the cheapest and best looking desktop in the market. It has a decent processor with the processor department a bit weak. The target audience for the desktop is an average home user who does not do processor or graphics intensive tasks. Having a digital audio port is one of the advantages of owning this desktop.

The desktop has uber cool looks with its all black shiny front panel. It integrated a card reader on the top. The dual layer DVD burner is placed below it. The front ports consisting of USB 2.0, Firewire 400, microphone and headphone jacks are concealed at the bottom.

As mentioned above, the desktop has the digital audio in and out, not found in budget desktops usually. Rest of the ports are standard with VGA being the only option to connect a display to it. HP has left enough space in the cabinet for expansion. There is hard drive bay for addition of an additional hard drive. You also have a bay in the front to add a portable hard drive. Then there are a two PCI 1x cards or a graphics card too.The four memory slots are all filled with 1GB of RAM module each. So you have to sacrifice atleast 1GB memory in order to upgrade RAM.

The performance of the desktop is good though not great. The Dual Core processor is not as good as Core 2 Duo but gives decent performance. The 4GB RAM is enough for almost all tasks. The onboard graphics are just enough to run Vista and few games at low settings.

Pros :

• Great looks
• Digital audio port
• Good expandability

Cons :

• Only VGA port
• No dedicated graphics
• Slower processor

Final Thoughts

The HP Pavilion A6620f desktop is a desktop with good looks but average performance. HP could have included better components at this price. The desktop has good expansion options which should somewhat rectify this. Overall an average package.

Rating : 3/5

Dell Studio MT specifications :

• Dimensions : 6.7″ x 17.1″ x 14.3″
• Form factor : Mini-tower
• Weight : 24.9 lbs
• Color : Piano black
• Processor : Intel Core 2 Quad 8200/ 2.33 GHz
• Chipset  Intel G45 Express
• RAM : 6GB RAM DDR2 SDRAM
• Graphics : ATI Radeon HD 3450
• Sound card : Integrated
• Power Supply : 350W
• Card Reader : 15-in-1
• Hard Drive : 750GB SATA-300 7200rpm
• Optical drive : DVD-RW 16x
• OS : Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit
• Warranty : 1-year
• Approx. price : $749

Dell has managed to stuff in a lot of high end stuff in this mid-range desktop PC. The Intel Quad Core processor with 6 gigs of RAM is surely going to get a lot of people interested. It also has a 750GB hard drive along with a ATI Radeon HD 3450 which will get gamers interested too. The desktop can be used for various tasks which include normal home use, gaming as well as an entertainment PC.

Dell hasn’t worked on making the exterior look attractive and it still has plain looks but it has a better design that the Dell Studio desktop. Dell has surely worked on including better components at a reasonable price which you can instantly make out from the configuration and the price tag. The graphics card now has a HDMI port allowing you to hook up your TV to the desktop. HDMI port is slowly gaining on popularity in desktop due to a large number of devices now supporting the standard.

The desktop does not have wireless connectivity which is increasingly becoming common in desktops. Although having WiFi in desktops has limited use but if you having wireless connectivity all over your house it can be helpful at times. Talking more about the ports, it has Firewire 400 ports, coaxial S/PDIF digital audio output port and the regular USB stuff. It also includes a card reader that supports around 15 formats. Dell does not have the eSATA port, really useful if you have a external hard drive with eSATA capability.Dell hasn’t included any accessories with the system.

Dell has left just enough space for expansion with space for adding a hard drive and PCI cards. There are two 1x PCI card slots free for you to use. Also there is a free 16x PCI card slot and a free PCI modem slot. The memory slots are all filled up, so you will have to remove existing RAM sticks to bump up the memory. The inside of the cabinet is clean with cable tied properly and tucked into corners.

The desktop competes with its HP and Gateway counterparts which have similar configuration at similar price point. HP also has some AMD machines in the market which can match their Intel counterparts. HP on one hand have better looks than HP but is prices slightly on the higher side. Gateway is always known to have offered great configurations at attractive price.

The Dell Studio MT has a dedicated graphics which most desktops lack at this price point. The addition of the 3D card is a major strong point of the desktop as it converts it from a desktop for regular use to one which can be used for gaming as well as also as a home entertainment PC. The ATI Radeon 3450 has showed what is worth of and can be used for either of the two tasks mentioned above efficiently. A dedicated graphics is always recommended for Windows Vista for the ‘WOW experience’.

Desktops have been shipping with Quad Core processors for a long time now, but not many desktops in sub-$800 category have been shipping with these monsters. Quad cores are more expensive than their AMD counterparts  which are more likely to be found in budget systems. Multi cores have hit the scene big but applications have failed to utilized them to full potential. Applications such as Photoshop etc are the only ones to discover their true potential.

Coming on to the performance of the desktop, it outperforms in its category. The processor can handle high processing load especially when running multiple applications. For applications such as Photoshop supporting multiple cores, it makes life much more merrier. The 6GB RAM isn’t something you would run out of easily even when running most memory intensive applications. Having no free memory slot isn’t a downside when you have 6 gigs of memory under the hood.The graphics of the desktop can handle games at mid settings making it an attractive option for gamers too. Overall a great performer without any performance issues. The desktop comes with a standard one-year limited warranty. Expecting extended warranty in this price range is asking for too much.

Pros :

• Great performance
• Attractive pricing
• HDMI port
• Expansion capability

Cons :

• No wireless capability
• Plain looks
• No memory expansion slot

Final Thoughts

Dell Studio MT is an excellent desktop from Dell’s warehouse. It combines great performance with killer pricing to make it a winner. One can probably overlook the plain looks and lack of wireless capability as they are not much of a concern. The Quad core processor coupled with 6GB RAM makes for a deadly combo. The addition of a dedicated 3D graphics card that you normal don’t see in budget rigs is the icing on the cake. It adds more dimensions the PCs. The PC also has room for expansion with free PCI slots and a hard drive bay though you can not add more memory without removing the stock one. If you are looking for a desktop in the same range then your search ends here. You could actually save a few bucks by getting this machine rather than something expensive!

My Rating : 4.25/5

Sony Vaio JS190J specifications :

• Dimensions : 19.2″ x 6.2″ x 16.1″
• Weight : 18.7 lbs
• Color : Silver, Black, Light Pink
• Processor : Intel Core 2 Duo E8400/ 3 GHz
• Chipset : Intel G45 Express
• Data bus speed : 1333 MHz
• RAM : 4GB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz
• Display : 20.1″ LCD TFT with 1680 x 1050 resolution
• Hard Drive : 500GB SATA -150 7200 rpm
• Graphics : Intel GMA X4500HD
• Optical Storage : Blu-ray drive/Dual-layer DVD burner
• Networking : Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• OS : Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit
• Warranty : 1-year limited
• Approx. price : $1,499

The Sony Vaio JS190J is in direct comparison to the Apple iMac 20″ though it does not have the same killer looks as the former. The keyboard also seems to have taken a cue from Apple’s iMac keyboard. The desktop PC starts from the $999 mark which does not have the Blu-ray drive and some other stuff.

The dimensions of the desktop are a tad smaller than iMac. Sony decided to go in for a 20″ display even with a bundled Blu-ray drive which limits the cinematic experience on the machine. The machine also has a webcam located above the display. The machine has an adjustable foot at the back so that you can choose an appropriate angle for viewing on your desk. Although HP has bundled a mouse with the machine, it did not care to include a remote with it. The Blu-ray drive has its place at the side of the display from where it pops out.

The desktop has a 20″ LCD TFT display which has a resolution of 1680 x 1050. The display is crisp and clear. A higher screen with full D resolution would have been ideal for watching HD movies using the Blu-ray drive. There isn’t an option for connecting external video display too, which is utterly disappointing. On the networking front, Sony has included wireless-N capability also. Gigabit Ethernet and Bluetooth are the other two networking options.

64-bit Windows Vista Home Premium comes loaded on the desktop to fully utilise the 4GB RAM present on the system. The onboard graphics chip is insufficient to play full blown 3D games. But it is more than capable of playing full HD movies without a glitch. USB 2.0 and FireWire 400 are the other ports present at the back. Lack of Firewire 800 and eSATA ports is another disadvantage for people wanting to connect devices for high speed data transfer.

The Sony Vaio JS190J has great performance. Barring the graphics performance, it leads all other similar budget desktop PCs by quite a margin. The dismal graphics performance is attributed to the absence of a dedicated graphics card. Overall, the system has great performance but it not targeted towards gamers.

Pros :

• Good design
• Blu-ray drive included
• Great performance
• Aggressive pricing
• Wireless-N capable

Cons :

• 20″ display without full HD capability
• No external video device connector
• Onboard graphics card
• No Firewire 800, eSATA ports

Final Thoughts

The Sony Vaio JS190J desktop PC brings Blu-ray drive into a desktop at an affordable price. The PC has good performance but lacks a dedicated graphics card. The smaller display might disappoint a few and also it ain’t fully HD compatible also. Overall a good system to put your money in if you are not a gamer.

My Rating : 3.5/5

Dell Studio specifications :

• Processor : Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 2.3 GHz
• Memory : 4GB 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
• Hard drive : 640GB, 7200 rpm
• Graphics card : 256 MB ATI Radeon HD 3650
• Optical drive : Dual-layer DVD burner
• Networking : Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n wireless
• TV Tuner : Included
• OS : WIndows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit)
• Approx. price : $1200

The Dell Studio packs in a powerful Intel Core 2 Quad processor along with huge storage capacity coupled with loads of RAM. The graphics card is good enough for mid-level gaming. It comes loaded with 64-bit version of Windows Vista to fully utilise all the RAM. Also a TV tuner is a welcome addition as it is not usually present in systems.

Dell has gone a step ahead with networking by including wireless 802.11n standard which is slowly becoming the standard on new devices. But sadly the absence of Blu-ray drive and a mid-level graphics card are its two major weak points. The motherboard supports upto 8GB of RAM, if you wish to upgrade in future.

A mid-level graphics card is bound to disappoint gamers and keep them away from this system. The gaming performance as expected is just above average. Blu-ray drive is included as an upgrade but costs a bomb, while HP offers it half the price for its systems.

The design of the system isn’t attractive as its simple and has no frills. Also the wireless antenna from the PCI expansion card makes it look clunky as it is attached by a think cable. The USB receiver for infrared is external which adds to clutter. HDMI port is a life-saver if you want to connect it to a HDTV.

Dell has a custom application that resembles OS X-style icon manager that sits on top of Vista desktop. The performance of the desktop is great when it comes to multimedia tasks. Gaming performance as already discussed is lack lustre due to the graphics card. Dell has standard 1-year parts and labor warranty along with on on-site warranty.

Pros :

• Quad core processor
• Huge storage capacity
• 64-bit OS
• On-site warranty
• Good multimedia performance

Cons :

• Non-attractive design
• Clunky accessories
• Average gaming performance
• Expensive Blu-ray upgrade

Final Thoughts

The Dell Studio Desktop has a powerful processor,loads of RAM and storage capacity but fails to impress. Its average graphics card and clunky design are major disappointments. The desktop does not offer anything innovative and hence fails to impress. Its just another average desktop.

My Rating : 2.5/5

Velocity Micro Edge Z15 specifications :

• Form factor : Tower
• Dimensions : 8.3″ x 19.3″ x 17.8″
• Color : Black
• Processor : Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66 GHz
• Motherboard : nVidia nForce 650 SLI
• RAM : 2GB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz
• Storage : 500GB SATA-300 7200 rpm
• Optical drive : DVD-Writer
• Graphics card : Nvidia GeForce 8800GT 512MB
• Sound cad : 7.1 channel integrated
• Power supply : 500W
• OS : Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
• Approx. price : $1499

The Velocity Micro Edge Z15 features a sleek and sturdy chassis which houses powerful hardware to run the latest games. Velocity has chosen high end components that deliver rich multimedia and gaming experience at a moderate price. The chassis is larger compared to some other desktops which bears a neat and clean look and no jazz.

You can choose to go for a higher end configuration of this machine by shelling out extra bucks. The high end version has a Quad-core CPU along with ATI Radeon HD 4850, 750GB hard disk space and 4GB of memory which should be good enough to run Crysis at medium to high settings.

Blu-ray drives have still not made their way to mid-range PCs due to their high costs but the scenario should change in the coming months. Another component which will slowly make its way is Solid State Drive.

The performance of the Velocity Micro Edge Z15 is commendable and manages to pull off impressive numbers. The high end configuration manages 60 fps in Crysis which speaks about the performance. There is also an option to add another graphics card using AMD’s ATI Crossfire technology apart from other hardware. You get 3DMark’s Vantage 3D graphics-benchmarking software along with a free T-shirt! There is a standard 1-year warranty on parts and labor.

Pros :

• Fast CPU, graphics card
• Good build quality
• Upgradable
• Great performance

Cons :

• Unattractive looks
• On-site support extra
• No Blu-ray, SSDs option

Final Thoughts

The Velocity Micro Edge Z15 is an excellent option for those who want to go for a branded gaming desktop. It offers great performance for the price. Looks are pretty ordinary if that is what you are looking for, then this is not your cup of tea. On-site support should have been provided without an extra fee, but that how companies work.

My Rating : 3.5/5

Asus Eee Box specifications :

• Dimensions : 8.25″ x 4″ x 9.25″
• Processor : Intel Atom, 1600MHz
• RAM : 1GB DDR2 SDRAM
• Motherboard : Intel 945GM
• Graphics Card : Intel GMA 950, 32MB shared memory
• Hard Drive : 80GB 5400rpm
• Card Reader : 5-in-1 card reader
• Networking : Ethernet, WiFi
• OS : Microsoft Windows XP Home
• Approx. price : $350

Apart from the compact CPU, Asus has also bundled a wireless keyboard and mouse, leaving you to buy your own set of display. Also you would notice that there isn’t any optical drive which might be a shocker to some. Asus claims that it can play 720p videos but they did appear to play a bit choppily.

Compacting the CPU does take its toll on performance and it offers significantly lower performance that full blown desktops in its range. But to compensate for it, the Eee Box has Draft N wireless adapter built-in which is a luxury to desktops right now. The hard disk is a mere 80GB but it can be popped out and swapped with a higher capacity hard drive.

It also has a start-up layer software called ExpressGate which enables us to use some of its features without loading Windows. These tasks are most related to internet such as browsing, making Skype calls etc. The Eee box has 4 USB port apart from a card reader which is able to read almost all major card formats. DVI port has also been provided to hook up a display. The Eee Box draws its power from a small power brick that comes bundled with it. There is no audible noise from the system, making it really quite.

Pros :

• Small and compact design
• Built-in Draft N wireless adapter
• ExpressGate software very handy
• Swappable hard disk
• Low price

Cons :

• Slow performer
• No optical drive
• No dedicated graphics card

Final Thoughts

The Asus Eee Box is a low priced compact desktop that offers basic functionality and performance is below average. It comes with Draft N wireless router which strongly supports it and a swappable hard disk is also a plus point. No optical drive or a dedicated graphics card will disappoint many. If you need a second PC without the need of performance or are on a low budget and have space issues, this seems a good buy.

My Rating : 3.5/5

• Chipset: ATI Radeon HD (R700)
• Core clock: 750MHz
• Stream Processors: 1600 (800 x 2) Stream Processing Units
• Memory Clock: 1800MHz
• Frame Buffer: 1 GB x 2
• DirectX: DirectX 10.1, Shader Model 4.1
• OpenGL: OpenGL 2.0
• Transistors: 956 M x 2
• Fabrication: 55 nm
• Price: $549

The ATi Radeon HD 4870 X2 is a beast powered by 1600 stream processors and 2 GB of GDDR5 graphic memory. It has support for Crossfire – ATi’s answer to nVIDIA’s SLI and PCIE 2.0. The GPU clock is set at 750 MHZ while the effective memory clock is set at 3600 MHZ. To further boost perfomance, you can connect two Radeon HD 4870 X2′s in Crossfire to obtain a 4870 X4. That would offer the best graphics performance to date. There are some bugs with Crossfire but those will be ironed out fast with driver updates. The R700 is essentially two RV 770 connected with a PCI express switch, which provides huge bandwidth between the two cards. There is an additional feature called Sideport to connect the two cards but that has been disabled by default. The ATi Radeon HD 4870 X2 however delivers just about the same performance as two HD 4870′s and consumes less power.

This release is especially rewarding for gamers, as it has forced nVidia to lower the prices of the GTX 260 / 280 and the 9800 GTX cards. The ATi HD 4870 / 4850 X2 are the best option for budget conscious gamers. It beats the GTX 280 SLI in almost all of the tested games, MAss Effect, Call of Duty 4, Crysis, GRAW 2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R, F.E.A.R, Devil may Cry and more. It also beats them hands down in most of the bench mark tests – 3D Mark, . It is very efficient in terms of power as well. However most performance gains in case of the HD 4870 X2 can be seen only at higher resolutions like 2560 x 1600. At lower resolutions, there isn’t much improvement from the existing GPUs. Also ATi doesnt support any form of PHYSX support yet.

Concluding, the ATi has a clear winner on its hands this time, it has snagged the Crown and is now officially the reigning King of Graphic cards. It offers the best performance to price ratio than any other piece of hardware out there. It has rised the bar for performance comparisions and can be called the first GPU to completely nail down Crysis. Moreever it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. We would definitely recommend this card to all those wanting the best performance at a decent price. It should stay at the top for quite some time until NVIDIA comes up with something much better.

Our Rating: 4.5 / 5

For detailed reviews and testing, you may want to check out these links -

1. ATi HD Radeon HD 4870 X2 – Official Page

2. Radeon HD 4870 X2 and Crossfire review – Guru3D

3. AMD ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 - Bit Tech

4. ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 Review – Extreme Tech

5. ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 – AMD Back On Top - Hot Hardware

The Psystar Open Computer is priced at $740 is even cheaper than cheapest Mac Mini. Here are its specifications :

• CPU : Intel Core2Duo E4500 2.2 GHz
• Memory : 4GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
• Hard Disk : 250GB, 7200 rpm
• Graphics : 512MB Nvidia GeForce 8600 GTS
• Optical Drive : Dual Layer DVD Burner
• OS : Apple Leopard OS X 10.5
• Approx. price : $740

The open computer has great configuration for the price and seems quite high on value for money.  Although the Psystar Open Computer starts from just $399 for the basic configuration with no operating system coming pre-installed with the system. There is also a version which sports Windows Vista Ultimate.

The Psystar Open Computer offers much better value for money for the hardware it ships with when compared to Mac Mini its closest rival. Although some of the drawbacks of the Open Computer include the lack of wireless networking and missing Bluetooth functionality.

Also as the Leopard OS X 10.5 used on it would be a patched one, you should not expect it to run all the features of the OS. Although all the major features like Front Row etc. work fine, there are apps like Apple System Profiler which do not work. Also, as it is a patched version, you are bound to come across bugs and other hiccups which might not give you a good impression of the otherwise ultra-smooth OS.

Psystar has disabled the automatic updates features on the OS to prevent Apple pushing any patch that might brick the system and hence rendering it useless. Although if you are brave enough to test it out, you can manually update your system. This also means that your system gets outdated when Apple releases security/features updated and in future a successor to Leopard.

The performance of the Psystar Open Computer is very good keeping its price in mind and it does beat the Mac Mini in most of the tests. The OS does not come with iLife ’08 installed , so you will have to purchase it to do some tasks like DVD burning which are otherwise not possible.

Pros :

• Good configuration
• Affordable
• Fast performer
• Upgradeable Leopard based PC

Cons :

• No Wi-Fi
• No Bluetooth
• No OS updates
• Limited OS X

Final Thoughts

Psystar Open Computer is a totally new concept which might impact Apple in some way or the other. As a consumer if you are looking to try out the Leopard OS X operating system but do not want to spend extra bucks on Apple Macs then this is the perfect choice for you. It also gives you the option to erase Leopard out and install the OS of your choice, coz after all it is a PC!

My Rating : 2.5/5

HP Pavilion Slimline S3330f specifications :

• Dimensions : 4.2″ x 13.9″ x 10.9″
• Platform Technology : AMD Live!
• Processor : AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+ / 2.8 GHz
• Chipset : nVidia nForce 430
• Memory : 2GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
• Hard Disk : 500GB SATA II 7200 rpm
• Blu-ray/HD DVD player, DVD burner
• Wireless Keyboard,mouse
• 802.11b/g wireless connectivity
• TV tuner
• Remote Control
• Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
• Approx. price : $1000

The desktop is extremely well priced at just $100 considering the fact that is also houses a HD DVD/Blu-ray drive. The slimline series from HP has witnessed extremely good desktop PCs which have small dimensions as one can make out from the name. The PC is good for Home entertainment purposes and the higher model can also be termed as a gaming PC.

The S3330f is based on AMD Live! Platform which was released by AMD some time back. nVidia nForce 430 is the chipset which it uses. The desktop uses 2GB RAM, good enough for most tasks. Some of the frills include wireless keyboard and mouse which complement this entertainment PC quite well. Also it has a TV tuner card to enable you to watch your favorite TV channels on your PC and also record stuff.

The cabinet of the desktop is very slim. The exterior has been well designed and polished which gives a cool look which will make your friend’s go jealous. The cabinet can also be laid down flat if you like it that way, giving you more flexibility with your limited space. Wireless capability is another plus point. Remote controls have now become a standard with any desktop PC coming with a TV tuner pre-loaded.

Performance is the stronghold of the s3330f desktop. The sheer speed of the AMD processor blows the competition away. The processor is way ahead of the competition when compared to the processors that come in similarly priced desktop PCs. The nVidia 6150 SE is good enough for casual gaming and can run all the latest games.

Pros :

• Excellent design
• Well priced
• HD DVD/Blu-ray player
• Great performance
• Wireless capability

Cons :

• None worth mentioning

Final Thoughts

The HP Pavilion Slimline S3330f is one the perfect desktops that I have come across. It delivers high performance at a low price. It even has a HD DVD/Blu-ray drive which makes it future proof. There is hardly anything negative about it. So what are you waiting for, grab one!

My rating : 4.7/5

The case is one of the most important aspects of a truly amazing gaming computer. Without proper ventilation you’ll notice poor performance out of your machine, and if doesn’t look really cool you wont want to take it to any LAN parties. Luckily the folks over at Lian Li have thought of both of these things when they designed the product that I’m going to review today.

The Lian Li Armorsuit PC-P80 is one beast of a case. It has a total of 12 external 5.25″ bays, there are two HDD bays that can hold 3 hard drives each and there are 4 large fans to cool the case down. Overall this case rules and will keep everything cool while being silent at the same time.

Here are a few of the technical specifications for the Armorsuit PC-P80:

• Street price: $349.99 approx.
• Anti-vibration kit
• 12 external 5.25″ bays, 6 internal 3.5″ bays
• Air filter for all of the fans
• Removable motherboard tray
• Holds E-ATX, ATX, M-ATX motherboards

Things I like
This case is truly a gamers case. When you actually dig deep down into the innards of the case, you can see that every little detail was carefully thought of when they designed the case.

There are a number of things I like about this case so I guess I’ll just start listing them. One of the thing that I really like about the PC-P80 is the fact that it’s built to make water cooling extremely easy. With the 12x external 5.25″ drives, you won’t have a problem putting a water reservoir in. Theres also holes around the case that are meant for water cooling tubing, and since the case is so large you don’t have to worry about it not fitting.

I also like the fact that this case is very silent. Lian Li included a noise dampening kit and it shows when you’re running your machine at full blast, even the fans are quiet when running at full speeds. There are a number of rubber stops in the case to help with vibrations, greatly reducing the sound that these vibrations make.

The cooling in this case is extraordinary when you consider that there is only 5 fans in this case. The 3 in the front keep your HDDs cool whereas the one on the top pulls all of the hot air out of the case. I’ve been running my machine at full tilt for the past week (I’ve been rendering a number of large videos), and the inside temperature has never risen above 30 degrees Celsius.

Things I don’t like
This case is very expensive. Coming in at $350 without a power supply it will definitely set you back a lot more than most other cases. The way I see it though, is if you’re going to spend a lot of money making the ultimate gaming machine, why not spend a little more on a case that will make the experience that much more fun. This case is definitely worth the steep price tag in my opinion.

Pros:

• Excellent Cooling
• Very Quiet
• Easy to install water cooling
• Looks the part

Cons:

• Expensive

Final Thoughts
If you’re going to be building the ultimate gaming machine, you really should have the ultimate case to go with it and the Lian Li Armorsuit PC-P80 is just that case. This case is definitely worth the price if you’re going to be putting in high-end electronics.

Rating: 5 / 5

Apple Mac Mini specifications :

• Dimensions : 6.5″ x 6.5″ x 2″
• Processor : Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0 Ghz
• Cache memory : 4MB
• Installed RAM : 1GB DDR II SDRAM
• Hard Disk : 120GB SATA 5400 rpm
• DVD Burner : SuperDrive 8x
• Mac OSX Leopard
• Approx : $799

Apple Mac Mini comes in two variations, one starting from $599 and other from $799. The $599 one is a bit more value to money when compared to similar priced desktop configurations available for Windows PC from other PC manufacturers. Also another added advantages of those PCs is that you get to customize them a lot more as compared to Mac Mini which has only a few available customization options.

The dimensions of the Mac Mini are its biggest advantage over other desktop PCs and the anodized aluminum surface gives it a cool look. It weighs a mere 1.3 kg and moving it around won’t be a problem, though you don’t need to do that often with a desktop PC!

The Mini comes pre-installed with the Mac OS X Leopard operating system and also iLife ’08 which are two other big advantages over Windows PC though it is debatable! The iLife ’08 is the digital media productivity suite from Apple and has various applications bundled under it like the iPhoto or the iMovie.

The base model comes installed with 1GB of RAM which is not all that sufficient for heavy applications that you might run on the Mac Mini, so upgrading the RAM to 2GB while customizing the Mini is a good idea, if the budget permits that is. Also with the lower model you do not get the SuperDrive DVD burner which is a shame from Apple as Combo drives have become a thing of the past now, and more so when the world has gone into the Blu-ray era.

The Mac Mini also supports Windows operating system and that does add to its flexibility. The performance of the Mac Mini is above average. It surely is not a gamers machine. You will get better performance at lower price in Windows desktop PCs but you will not get the same dimensions as a Mac Mini or the Mac OS X Leopard either.

Pros:

• Small dimensions
• 2GHz Core2 Duo processor
• OS X Leopard+iLife ’08
• Light Weight

Cons:

• Expensive
• Low customization
• Average performance
• No SuperDrive in $599 model

Final Thoughts

The Apple Mac Mini desktop is a good addition to the Mac family and it opens the windows for non-Mac users to try out Mac OS X at a relatively cheap price. The Mac Mini is expensive when compared to Windows based PCs and also offers low levels of customization. Performance is not a strong point of the Mac Mini either.

My Rating : 3/5

Lacie d2 external Blu-ray burner specifications :

• Dimensions : 6.8″ x 10.6″ x 1.7″
• Type : External
• Interface : USB 2.0 , Firewire 400
• Read speed : 32x(CD) / 8x(DVD) / 2x(BD)
• Write speed : 24x(CD) / 8x(DVD±R) / 2x(BD-R)
• Buffer size : 8MB
• Software included : Cyberlink PowerDVD, Roxio Easy Media Creator
• Approx Price : $650

The Lacie d2 Blu-ray burner supports burning of all formats except HD-DVD. A simple reason to invest in this drive would be if you want to use Blu-ray discs as a backup or you are a video professional editor needing to carry around loads of data. For others it is a wait-n-watch game till the prices come down.

The hard drive although comes labeled as Lacie but the actual manufacturer of the drive mechanism is Matsushita, the company which owns Panasonic.Lacie provides the external casing,support and support. The drive also supports dual layer Blu-ray discs which are capable of holding 50GB of data!

Having an external drive adds a whole lot of convenience and you can carry around the burner with you since not many would have it and it makes your tasks easier.Also the drive supports both USB 2.0 and Firewire connections which is always a nice option.

Coming to the performance of the drive, it works pretty well both on Windows and Mac. The drive is supported by quite a few of the burning softwares and you will not have any issues burning discs. There are no issues even on Mac front but you need to use the bundled Roxio Toast software to get things working properly in all situations. The write speeds are impressive and same goes for the read speeds. The bundled software does a great job and comes in handy as you don’t need to hunt around for compatible softwares.

Pros :

• Wide format support
• Supports dual Blu-ray discs
• Both PC and Mac compatible
• Good Performance

Cons:

• Expensive
• No HD-DVD support

Final Thoughts

As I said earlier the drive is not meant for everybody due to its high price. But Lacie has done a good job with the drive and managed to bring out a stable product in the market. This will surely set a benchmark for the coming products.

My Rating : 3.75/5

The Antec 900 will keep even the hottest of gaming rigs cool with its unique air flow. Included with the case is 3x 120mm fans and 1x 200mm fan! You can also add another 2x 120mm fans to cool the graphics card and cpu.

The 900 also has a number of other great features like 6 drive bays, a spot to put your keys or extra things on the top and it gives you quick access to two USB and one FireWire port on the top.

Here are a few of the technical specifications for the Coolpix P5100:

• Street Price: $120
• Interchangeable Drive bays
• Top mounted I/O ports
• 7 Expansion Slots
• Tri-speed fan controls
• Bottom mounted PSU

Things I like
I really like the ventilation in this case. With the massive 200mm fan your system isn’t likely to overheat. I’ve had problems before with my system overheating during a gaming marathon but so far with the Antec 900 I have yet to have that problem. My Intel Quad Core chip dropped by 5 degrees and my GPU by 3 degrees and the overall temperature of the case dropped by 7 degrees so I’m really happy with the cooling of this case.

I also like how the drive bays can be reconfigured. There’s 3 sets of bays which can be used for either 5.25″ external devices or 3.5″ internal devices. You can set them up however you want, having all 9 for external devices or all for internal, its really up to you.

I could really go on about all the things that I like about this case, the top I/O ports are nice, the adjustable fan speeds, etc but this review would get rather long. Keep in mind that its a great case.

Things I don’t like
There is a couple things that I don’t like about the Antec 900. Cable routing is probably the biggest one. I found that the inside got a little cramped as I was trying to connect all of my peripherals to the motherboard. While it wasn’t too serious of an issue, I did have to go to the store a couple of times to buy a few connectors to lengthen a couple cables. The other thing I don’t like about the 900 is the fact that its not tooless to install your drives. You do need to have a screwdriver handy and this can be annoying at times.

Pros:

• Excellent cooling
• Configurable drive bays
• I/O ports on top
• Nice size

Cons:

• Need a screwdriver to install drives
• Cable routing can be a problem

Final Thoughts
While the case isn’t perfect it does offer excellent ventilation as well as some really cool features. If you’re finding that your case overheats constantly, I suggest that you buy this case because you’ll see a drop in the temperature.

The Compaq Presario SR5350F is the latest desktop computer in the Presario line. It has a number of great features like a Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of ram and a 360GB hard drive all for a low price.

Here are a few of the technical specifications for the Presario SR5350:

• Street Price: $459.99
• Dual-Core E2160 1.80GHz processor
• 2048 MB of RAM
• 360 GB SATA hard drive

Things I like
The thing I like most about this computer is its price. At $460 this is an extremely affordable computer. While it doesn’t come with a monitor I’m sure you could find a cheap crt for under $50. This computer doesn’t come with all of the bells and whistles that some computers do but it has everything you would need if you’re just surfing the web and doing day to day activities. The 2GB of RAM is plenty, the 320GB hard drive is actually quite large and I think Compaq did a great job with this computer.

I’ve been using this computer as a secondary computer for a while now and I haven’t had a single problem with it. For surfing the web and doing work on it, it works perfectly.

Things I don’t like
I have two problems with the SR5350F. My first problem is the processor. 1.80GHz isn’t fast enough for my liking. I realize that you “get what you pay for” but there are a number of low-cost computers that have a better processor in them. I would have like to see at least a 2.0GHz C2Duo processor. My second problem with the SR5350F is it’s graphics card. It only has an integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with 64MB dedicated graphics memory. This isn’t enough to run any games or even Vista. Luckily they do provide a free PCI-e slot so you can put you’re own graphics card in if you have one laying.

Other than these two problems this computer is great and well worth the money.
Pros:

• Very Cheap
• Lots of RAM
• Fairly large hard drive

Cons:

• Slow processor
• Bad graphics card

Final Thoughts
If you don’t have a lot of money to buy a new computer but still want one that can run the latest applications and run them quickly then I suggest that you pick up the Compaq Presario SR5350F. This computer has a lot of RAM, a large hard drive and will run really well all for a fairly low price.

Antec Super Lanboy specifications:

• Durable anodized aluminum finish
• Dimensions: 16.5″ x 8.0″ x16.75″
• 9 drive bays
• Front ports: 2x audio, 2x USB
• 2 x 170 mm front and rear fans
• Form factor: ATX

Antec cabinets are uber cool and are the favorites among the gamers due to the excellent cooling that they provide along with the sexy look.The Antec super lanboy is one of the high end offerings from Antec and has been dubbed the “super mini tower”.

The cabinet weighs a measly 8.8 lbs.The cabinet has enough space for all your drive as it has space for 5 external dives and 4 internal drive bays.The cabinet has two huge 120mm fans , one at the rear and the other in the front.

The case has been constructed using anodized aluminum and no sharp edges has been left out which can cause convenience to the user.Both the side panels are removable using the thumb screws.The front bezel has been made very attractive keeping functionality also in mind. A front door has been provided which covers the drive bays.The bottom part has the front USB ports,audio jacks,power button and a set of three LEDs to illuminate the cabinet. Antec has also included a toolbox which is also hidden behind the front door and is a nice way to keep frequently needed small things like screwdrivers,nuts,cables etc.

The back panel has the standard ATX PSU mounting space,PCI card slots, I/O shield and grill for the 120mm rear fan.The rear fan does not have any lighting though it would have been great if they had provided it.The fan is low noise fan.In the interior Antec has a fixed motherboard plate for keeping the motherboard in place.There are 4 internal 3.5″ drive bays and the bay cage is not removable.

The cabinet has good space for both air intake and the fans do the job of taking the hot air out of the cabinet perfectly. Antec has provided a good set of accessories with the cabinet.Apart from the standard set of screws for keeping the motherboard,drives in place,they have provided a nylon carrying strap making it easier to carry the case around.A manual also have been provided with to help the users with setting up things if they stuck.I/O plate,rear fan,front bezel wrap up the accessories.

The performance of the cabinet is very good.It manages to reduce temperatures by quite a margin compared to one of the “dime-a-dozen” cabinets.The noise is low but can be heard in low noise environments.The aluminum case also gives a strange humming noise.Overall it does its job well.

Pros:

• Stylish front panel
• Door to cover drive bays
• Large fans
• Good ventilation
• Toolbox space
• Light Weight

Cons:

• Noisy aluminum panel
• No fan for air intake
• Non-removable drive cage

Final Thoughts

The build quality of the cabinet is good and the 120mm fans do a great job with the cooling apart from being noiseless.The front panel has been designed after giving some thought and nor does it look cool but also has great functionality.The light weight and small size of the cabinet are some of its other positives.There are however a few cons as I have already mentioned which are not too much of a concern.It is a very good buy if you have enough money to spend for it.

Here are some specs of the XPS One

• Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33GHz processor
• 2GB DDR2 ram duel channel
• 500GB hard drive standard
• Blueray, DVD, CD burner
• Intel G33 express chip-set
• ATI Radeon HD 2400pro
• Windows Vista Home Premium
• Price $2399

The things I like about this system

I think the integrated TV tuner is great particularly if you live in a small apartment or dorm room and use you PC as a media center its all in one design is compact and can save you space in a small living area. A cool feature is the motion sensor on the screen when you swipe passed it a host of multi media button show up and you can see if there is a disc in you drive. The go dark button on the front of the screen is great for turning off the monitor when you are just listening to music.

Things that I didn’t like

The worst thing about the XPS One is its performance in my opinion this isn’t as fast as my iMac which is a big down fall for me considering its $2399 price. With the current war between HD DVD and Blueray I am still reluctant to go either way so for me paying for a Blueray drive at this stage of the HD format war is not a good idea never lone the fact studios are only offering movies on one format and not the other.

Pros

• Slick design
• The best HD all in one PC
• Built in TV Tuner

Cons

• Expensive
• Slow performance
• No video output

Final thoughts

If you are looking for an HD all in one PC that it going to be you computer slash media center then the XPS One is going to be your best value for money considering the Sony Vaio LT19U retails for $2999. But if your like me and don’t want to jump into this HD war until they hopefully sort it out soon then take a look at Apples iMac or HP’s touchsmart.

HP has generally been known for their inexpensive home and business computers. With the increase in the number of gamers in the world HP thought it’d be a good time to get into the gaming market. Whether or not this was a good decision will become apparent with time but for now the Blackbird 002 is a good attempt to crack into that market.

The Blackbird is completely customizable, but some options are Quad-Core processors, upwards of 4 GB of memory, dual GeForce 8800GTS, 1 TB of storage and more. Prices start at $2,400.

Here are a few of the technical specifications for the Blackbird:

• Street price: $2700.00 (base price)
• Water cooling available
• Up to 1TB of hard drives
• 900W or 1100W PSU’s
• Up to 4GB of RAM
• Nvidia 8800 graphics card

Things I like
The Blackbird is a solid gaming machine. Even at it’s base model it features a number of things that’ll make most gamers envious. The ability to have dual 8800GTX graphics cards is really nice. This means that you’ll be flying through Crysis, being able to play it on it’s more extreme settings. The availability of RAID and the number of hard drives that you can have is another nice feature of the Blackbird. I like the fact that they allow you to have up to 1TB worth of space (obviously more if you put 1 TB drives in there).

The other thing I like about the Blackbird is its killer case. The graphics on the side look absolutely amazing. While theres no case lighting (which would have been nice) the graphics look clean and clear unlike the HP dv2660se. I think overall, HP did a great job in designing the Blackbird. It’s totally customizable and you can basically pick and choose whichever specifications you wish. I really like this computer except for a few things.

Things I don’t like
The Blackbird 002 is a great computer. It is however, fairly expensive. Coming in at $2700 for the lowest model the Blackbird can quickly get way to expensive for even the most hard core gamers (for a high end version you could be paying over $8000). Other than the large price my only other complain is the noise factor. As expected, the Blackbird is fairly noisy. When you’re running a game you’re definitely going to hear the flans blowing and keeping your computer cool. The water cooling is a little better but there are still fans blowing and making noise. This of course is expected, since it is a gaming machine, but there are still a number of computers for gamers that keep quiet even when running at peak performance.

Pros:

• One mean gaming machine
• Large hard drive space
• Excellent graphics cards
• Very nice case design

Cons:

• Expensive
• Very noisy when running at peak performance

Final Thoughts
The Blackbird 002 is definitely not for everyone. Unless you’re into hard core gaming you shouldn’t even bother looking into this computer. If you are a gamer however, the Blackbird has much to offer. With its large hard drive space, fast processor and a lot of ram it can handle a lot of different games. If you have the money to spend I would recommend you buy the Blackbird 002. It’s a great machine.

HP recently released their own touch screen computer in the form of the TouchSmart All-In-One Desktop. This computer looks extremely sleek with its glossy black finish. The touch screen is connected to the base computer so you don’t have to worry about messy wires.

If you don’t feel like using the touch screen there is a keyboard and mouse included with the system.

Here are a few of the technical specifications for the TouchSmart Desktop:

• Street price: $1599.99
• AMD Turion™ 64 X2
• All-in-one design with built-in 19″ widescreen LCD touch-screen
• 2GB Ram
• 500GB SATA
• NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 graphics

Things I like
The TouchSmart is one of the first all-in-one touch screen computers. I really like the fact that the screen is a touch screen. It makes things really cool (like playing games). Sometimes the touch screen is totally unnecessary but I still like it. Another thing I like about the TouchSmart is the black glossy finish. This computer looks really cool. HP did a great job on the overall design of the computer.

I also like the graphics card that comes with the TouchSmart. While the graphics card isn’t the best out there it is definitely better than an Intel integrated graphics card. Overall I really like this computer. It’s well built and the touch screen is really nice to have.

Things I don’t like
I don’t like the fact that the monitor is attached to the actual desktop. Like I said in the review of the iMac, the average monitor lasts 7-10 years whereas the average computer lasts 3-5 years. This means that you’re actually paying more because you need to replace the monitor every time you get a new computer. If HP had included a touch screen monitor instead of attaching it to the base of the computer I think this would have been a much better computer.

Because of the touch screen the TouchSmart is a little more expensive than a counterpart with the same specifications but no touch screen. This is understandable but at $1600 it is a little pricey (compared to the specs of the computer).

Pros:

• Touch Screen
• Nice Design
• Good graphics card

Cons:

• A little pricey
• Touch screen monitor shouldn’t be apart of the desktop

Final Thoughts
I really like the HP TouchSmart All-in-one Desktop. I think it’s a very well built computer with a tonne of cool features. While it is a little pricey it is really cool. I would recommend this desktop to anyone that wants a touch screen monitor.

Apple kept the same form factor but drastically revamped the look. The sleek white look has been replaced with aluminum, and there is now a black bezel around the display—which is now under glass. The Apple logo on the chin of the iMac is now black.

Included underneath the new 20″ 2.4GHz iMac is: 1GB memory, a nice 320GB hard drive, 8x double-layer SuperDrive, and finally a ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO graphics card. The computer in itself is fairly impressive. The graphics card isn’t bad, there is plenty of hard drive space and the processor is fast enough.

Here are a few of the technical specifications for the iMac:

• Street price: $1499
• ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB memory
• 20-inch glossy widescreen LCD
• 1GB Ram
• 320GB Hard Drive
• Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR

Things I like
I have always liked Mac computers. They are well built, have tonnes of great software and just look cool. The new iMac is no different. When it’s sitting on top of your desk people are going to look. Minus the glossy screen, I really like the new look. I think it just looks classy.

I also like the new keyboard that is included with the iMac. It’s low design makes it feel really nice and the keys are really crisp. I also like that the iMac has Bluetooth included. This makes syncing to various printers, cell phones and other pieces of hardware really easy and is just a nice feature to have included.

Things I don’t like
As you can see from the picture above, the new glass screen is glossy. This means if you have any light source behind you, you’re going to see a reflection. This is very annoying if you’re editing video or pictures and need to see small details. When Apple re-designed the iMac they should have thought of this and not made it glossy.

The other thing I don’t like about the iMac is the fact that the screen is included with the computer. I realize that a lot of people like having an all-in-one device but it just doesn’t make sense. The average monitor lasts 7-10 years whereas the average computer lasts 3-5 years. This means that you’re actually paying more because you need to replace the monitor every time you get a new computer.

Pros:

• Large hard drive
• Nice graphics card
• Bluetooth included

Cons:

• More expensive than it’s PC counterparts (with the same specs)
• Glossy screen is annoying

Final Thoughts
Other than the glossy screen this iMac does look very nice. Apple definitely spent their time making a nice design and they did a good job. If you like having the all-in-one desktop than this computer is a really good choice. Macs have great software included with the computer. I definitely suggest buying the iMac 20″ 2.4GHz if you’re in need of a new computer.